#need to draw merfolk more often its so fire

[brainrot-stitch]

Ough. I hate him. I hope he dies (/j I love them I js hate coloring..)

Fishyyy....

[mk-writes-stuff]

Hello hello! Could I ask you:

9. Has any of them had to be saved from the brink of death? Were there any consequences after?

10. Has any of them had to be revived / brought back to life? How did this affect them?

From the torturing your OCs ask tag. <3

Hi! I’m always open for asks :)

CW for mentions of drugs and overdose, cancer, slavery, and death

Have any of them had to be saved from the brink of death? Were there any consequences after?

You’d think the number would be a lot higher, but I can only think of one in Seven Stations (book 1 at least). Arguably you could count Cassie as well when she chopped her arm off but I’m not counting that one, I think she wasn’t as close to death as anyone suspects she could be

Going to need to dodge spoilers here a bit but it’s actually our clone boy Sel who has a near-death experience. He gets poisoned and requires emergency medical treatment to keep his heart beating. He does survive this but is comatose for a month or two and, even after significant physical therapy, is unable to walk more than a few steps unaided

As for Pirates’ Roost, I’ve got a list:

Amelia - nearly died of poisoned wounds fighting Captain Jetti and required emergency medical treatment

Tatum - twice, actually, nearly died in the jungles of Ixalan from an infected cut on their hand and was rescued last minute by the crew of the Soaring Gull; and nearly died of cancer trying to get to Orazca in time before being saved by a stranger with too many snakes and an encyclopedic knowledge of poisons, which kicked off an entire other plot arc (actually its three times now that I think about it, they overdosed on pain meds once too)

Malcolm - was nearly murdered by Tatum’s dumbass brother, only survived because Julian was able to give him an antidote to the sleeping meds he was given

Apatli (said dumbass brother) - was beaten up and left to die in a gutter, found by Malcolm and taken to safety

Morrigan - nearly died in a fire, was accidentally saved by Jetti who she swore a life debt to

Onora (merfolk carpenter of the Sea Star) - burned his gills to the point of being unable to breathe hunting for the Belligerent to help them rescue slaves that Captain Dray had taken

This might happen too often in my stories lol

Have any of them had to be revived/brought back to life? How did this affect them?

Okay so generally in my stories there isn’t a way to bring someone back from the dead per se. I‘ll give you what I’ve got though (there aren’t any examples in Seven Stations, sorry)

There are two characters in Pirates’ Roost who come back as ghosts after they die. One of them is a sailor named Bartholomew who Malcolm was friends with when he was younger, whose spirit inadvertently anchored onto a compass his murderer had (ghosts in Pirates’ Roost need an anchor, either something they’re very attached to or something made out of a special mineral from the sun at the center of the world, the compass was the latter). Malcolm finds his compass some time later and they spend some time together before Bartholomew gets tired and asks to have his spirit set free from the compass so he can move on to the afterlife

The other one is a more significant character - a shipwright named Wallace. He was the captain of the Soaring Gull/Drowned Gull before Jetti and when he was murdered, his spirit anchored to his unfinished submarine prototype because he was just that passionate about boats (he’s hella autistic in case you can’t tell). He was left in an abandoned warehouse with the submarine for a while but was eventually found by Merry and Tatum and joined their crew as their personal ship designer. He’s quite peeved that being incorporeal means he can’t draw ships anymore but he just makes other people do it for him. He eventually gets his anchor shifted to a chunk of cosmium (inner sun mineral) so he can move between ships and pilot them via cosmium wiring

Anyway sorry for the massive ramble, I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you for the asks :)

[carewyncromwell]

hella delayed reaction but skdfjasdlkfa BOYFRIENDS JACOB AND ASHE PIRATE AND SIREN COMBO ARE MY NEW OTP I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

*sniggers like an idiot* This message made me draw some stuff, so if y’all didn’t want a diversion from the next part of the POTC AU...too bad! You’re getting some AU!Duncan/Jacob, so deal with it.

Okay, so first things first -- Duncan (later Duncan Ashe) and Jacob Cromwell Roberts (later Black Jack Roberts) first collided after Jacob was “impressed into service” (A.K.A. kidnapped off the merchant ship he was on and forced to be his captors’ navigator or die) by pirate Howell Davis. While trapped on board on the Rover for the next two years, Jacob would (like in the old days trapped on the Revenge with his sister Carewyn) sing to pass the time. Most of the pirates didn’t mind too much as Jacob, like Carewyn, has a great singing voice, and honestly, there isn’t much to do to entertain oneself on a pirate ship.

As luck would have it, one day, Jacob’s singing caught the attention of a merman swimming by the Rover, who was startled by the sound of the voice and stopped momentarily to suss out whether it was another merman or not. He pretty quickly deduced that no, it was just a human male with an unusually attractive singing voice. Duncan probably would’ve tried to take this opportunity to lure the human male into the water and eat him, but considering he was alone and the ship was stuffed to the brim with nasty-looking pirates, Duncan decided it probably wouldn’t be prudent to do so. So instead he shadowed the ship for a while, thinking to follow it back into waters where more merfolk swam and, once there, attack the ship properly with reinforcements.

While following the ship, however, it seemed like every time Duncan came up to the surface, that one human male was always singing, and it was always in such a pained, aching sort of voice. This of course didn’t trouble Duncan exactly -- it was good to know that this human wanted something so much and that Duncan would therefore be able to figure out what he wanted and use it to lure him into his waiting jaws easily -- but as he followed the ship and listened to this young man’s voice in comparison to the others’ on board, he suddenly got the weird feeling that this human was...different, somehow. And so he situated himself on the ship’s anchor and listened a bit more carefully.

Merfolk have a pretty good ability to read the hearts and attitudes of humans just by being close to them, and although Duncan couldn’t get close enough to completely suss out what this human wanted, he got the feeling that his emotions were strong -- not just the sorrow and pain, but the resilience and determination, as well. The human was also very amusing, frequently running circles intellectually around the other men on the pirate ship and making Duncan bite back laughter. At one point Duncan even overheard an argument between the human and the pirates on-board where he demanded to be set free and mentioned his sister, insisting that she needed him and saying he would do anything if they’d just let him return to her. Considering that merfolk in general are not family-oriented (with a few lone exceptions), the level of passion in which this human spoke of his sister startled Duncan. He was more than used to people lusting after gold or flesh, but he’d never heard anyone speak so selflessly before -- being willing to lay down his own life not for himself, but for someone else. It was a stupid thing to say, Duncan thought, considering these pirates clearly had no reason to listen to him and him emotionally lashing out wouldn’t likely help anything...and yet, all the same, Duncan found himself drawn all the more. And so when the ship entered merfolk-inhabited waters...Duncan did not strike. Instead he left and found a meal elsewhere, but never forgot the ship called the Rover and the young man with the wonderful voice.

Over the next year, Duncan kept his eye open for the Rover. It zipped back and forth across the sea often enough, so it didn’t take long for him to figure out their route. There were several points he considered speaking to the human, or maybe even singing himself so he could hear him, but he always reminded himself that he didn’t know what good it would do. Sailors still by and large fear and distrust merfolk (though they often presume they’re all mermaids, not men), and Duncan had no way to help this human escape his circumstances whether he wanted to or not. He no longer wanted to lure him off the pirate ship with promises that weren’t true.

Once, while Duncan was following the Rover, the ship got locked in a huge sea battle, forcing the merman to dive deep below the waves to escape the cannon fire. When he emerged, he was shocked to find that his human had actually been made Captain -- “Captain Jack Roberts,” they called him. Duncan finally had a name -- and when he followed the ship all the way to its destination of Port Royal, he thought it would be the last time he would ever see him again. Duncan fought with himself about whether or not to approach “Jack,” but in the end, he lost his nerve. His heart broke when he saw his human leave the ship at a run, as if he never wanted to look back.

You can imagine how shocked and delighted Duncan was, therefore, when his “Jack” returned to the ship. The delight was short-lived, however, when Duncan learned the reason “Jack” had returned was because his precious sister was gone and no one knew where she’d disappeared to, so he was determined to search the seven seas until he found her again. Duncan could sense immediately that there were tensions aboard his ship in response to this, but “Jack” didn’t seem to -- he was too focused on finding his sister to give much care to anyone else’s thoughts on the matter. Duncan cursed the stupidity of this wonderful, bizarre human.

As Charles Cromwell later told Carewyn, Howell Davis’s old First Mate Patricia Rakepick decided to spark a mutiny on board the Rover and claim its captainship for herself. Rather than maroon Jack as per the Pirate Code, she determined (correctly, may I point out) that if he were left alive, he’d be more than smart enough to find a way off the island and be a thorn in her side later -- and so in a particularly brutal move, Rakepick shot him in the back with her pistol and pushed him overboard into the raging waves. In alarm Duncan, who had still been following the Rover, dived to retrieve Jack, covering the young man’s mouth with his own in a deep kiss to give him the ability to breathe underwater long enough that he wouldn’t drown while Duncan swam him away from the Rover.

Duncan eventually found a small island where he could pull Jack ashore. Knowing Jack was in bad shape and yet he had no way to help him on his own, Duncan made the risky and brave decision to leave the water, taking on human legs and stumbling into the closest town butt-friggin’-naked begging for help. The townspeople quickly gave him some clothes and Duncan then led them back to the beach where he’d left Jack, who dipped in and out of consciousness as Duncan lifted him into his arms and carried him to the closest doctor. Once his human was tended to, the two finally met face-to-face for the first time and exchanged names -- the human introduced himself as Jacob Roberts, or Jack, while Duncan introduced himself as Duncan Ashe, taking his last name from the contents of the ashtray in the parlor of the doctor’s home.

It wasn’t long after that Jacob made his deal with Davy Jones to steal the Rover back from Patricia Rakepick and the East India Trading Company, which officially branded him a pirate and set him on his quest to both find Carewyn and locate Charles or Blaise Cromwell so as to satisfy his debt with Jones. Duncan was and is the only member of Jacob’s crew who knows both about his deal with Jones and his backstory, and over the years, Jacob told Duncan all about his sister, Carewyn, and what a saint she supposedly was. Jacob constantly insisted that Duncan would love Carewyn when they finally met, which Duncan couldn’t help but doubt, considering that he found Jacob to be a rare exception among humans -- as it turned out, when they finally did, Duncan was amazed to find Jacob was right.

To this point, Jacob still hasn’t put two-and-two together about what Duncan really is, and Duncan hasn’t felt much desire to tell him, even though there are points he wishes Jacob could know that he really did save his life, and not just by pulling him out of the water. Nevertheless, Jacob did eventually figure out how much his First Mate really meant to him in the midst of the seven years they sailed together (yeah -- this guy is a brilliant scholar and captain, but when it comes to people, he really is an absolute idiot), and once he did, he was pretty forceful in making sure Duncan knew it too. By then, Duncan was more than willing to reciprocate, given how long he’d kept his feelings to himself -- so now Black Jack Roberts’s relationship with his First Mate Ashe is more than common knowledge among the crew. Anyone who would even think about underestimating either man because of this, however, is pretty quickly disillusioned when Duncan tosses them overboard or Jacob decides to dangle them by the back of their shirts off the bowsprint for a day or two.

[elven-ariaera]

Welcome all!

If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you’re familiar with my work as either an artist, cosplayer, writer or any of the other creative things I do. Recently, I had been asked about some of the work that I do, and I thought a fun way to just that was to fill out a few questionnaires. Here I talk about some of the high and low points of doing what I do, what inspires me, and my process of creativity.

For those who are only interested in certain segments, I’ve broken the article into the following sections for you to easily maneuver your way throughout the piece: Art, cosplay, writing, and questions asked by you.

I know I’m no professional and compared to a lot of others I don’t have as outstanding an amount of followers, but if this article can help inspire at least one artist to try something new or learn something they didn’t know, well, that’s good enough for me! I hope you enjoy!

Art

When did you get into art?

I’ve been drawing as long as I can remember, but I do recall middle school in particular being the time that I really started pursuing art. I had to choose between volleyball and art club after school, and guess which one I picked. It wasn’t just academics either. My notebooks were full of fan art of mostly Link and Zelda, but you could find some Kirby, Pokémon, and Naruto scattered in there as well.

Show us your oldest piece of art you have on hand.

Yeah. It’s… Something.

What defines your artistic style?

I think the faces of the characters I draw distinguish my art. I always have a certain way of drawing the eyes, ears, and other features. I always give my females more prominent eyelashes than males as well. Certain clothing as well — The way I draw capes and hoods are distinct. Not to mention when designing my own clothes, I tend to use similar patterns.

Do you practice other styles/have you tried other styles in the past?

I occasionally dabble outside my comfort zone. I’m not necessarily a huge fan of the “Cal-Arts” style, but I’ve tried it every now and then, especially when creating fan art for shows like Steven Universe, The Amazing World of Gumball, and Amphibia. I don’t really do it too often, but I’ve made a piece for my portfolio mimicking several art styles from a variety of different shows just to demonstrate that I can do it if I’d like to.

What levels of artistic education have you had?

Honestly, just high school. I thought I was going to college for digital illustrations but it turned out communication/graphic design was totally different. I actually got into that because I could draw when not many other people in that field could. Of course, I’m always interested in learning outside of school. I learn through watching other artists on social media, seeing how they create their work. Just watching a speed draw can help so much! The way I learn the most, however, is just by doing. Practice, practice, practice! 

Show us at least one picture you drew or sketched recently that you did not put on a public site.

I’ve been doing a lot of Fire Emblem doodles for my new sticker line, so here’s Setsuna. Honestly, I just like drawing bust portraits like this.

What is your favorite piece that you have done?

I can’t just pick one! I’ve drawn over 900 things since I first joined DeviantArt (and I’ve been drawing even before then), you want me to pick just one? Haha, I’ll narrow it down to three of my favorites (in no particular order):

I love this one because it was like the first cute drawing of Ivysaur I’ve ever done. Ivysaur was always a tricky pokémon for me to draw, but this was the first time I feel like I nailed it. Ivysaur also happens to be one of my absolute favorites, so that’s a plus.

This is Minerva, a Guardian from my fantasy stories. Every time I drew her prior, I could never quite get the look I wanted. This was the one that I really liked and so I colored it and am very happy with how it turned out.

I don’t know why I just love this drawing I did of Dimitri from Three Houses. I think its the eyes and hair. And the color contrast — especially in the original ink sketch (that I hung up over my craft table.) I just love it.

What is your least favorite piece that you have done?

Again, you want just one? Haha, too many failures. I’ll be fair, though, and post three of those as well.

Here’s one from my early days. I was trying so hard to get the hair all detailed like and instead it came out looking like gross looking veins. Not to mention how atrocious the proportions were. Oh man, I’m sorry past me, I know you tried.

Here’s one I was so proud of: I copied the official art for Twilight Princess and thought it came out amazing. So amazing I titled the piece “Awesomeful Link.” Yeah. Um. Nope.

Here’s a more recent one that I’m not too pleased with. I was so excited about the latest batch of Steven Universe episodes (which I would later learn were a big bunch of filler episodes and that didn’t make anything better) I drew Pearl reciting her ‘big line’ of the trailer. I tried to mix styles and I tried something different with the eyes and all in all it just came out… Meh.

What do you like most about your art?

I like the faces that I draw. They’re always the most fun and I think they come out the best. I especially love the eyes, I go into so much detail on them (even though they’re usually so small when I print them.) I’ve had issues in the past where I made all of my characters look like they had the same face, but I feel I’ve been doing a lot better at individualizing the face of each character and that makes it all the more fun as well.

What do you like least about your art?

The hands. Sometimes I draw them well, but I still struggle hard and sometimes it really shows. For chibi drawings, I don’t really care as much, but on my more “serious” art, I get a little bummed when I’ve got a wonky hand hanging off their wrists. Feet also sometimes give me a bit of trouble, but usually only when I do poses that involve more movement, which is why I sometimes make my art stiffer and I don’t like doing that either.

Have you ever considered taking commissions?

I do take commissions. In fact, I’d love to take more if it were possible.

Are you looking to pursue a career in art?

I do it part-time right now. I’m satisfied doing commissions and artist tables at local conventions. I think I’d like to pursue writing more than art, but I do love art just as well, so part-time is perfect for me.

What do you like drawing the most?

As I mentioned before, faces. I love drawing facial expressions, I feel like it’s the very core of a character. It’s the first thing I notice when I look at anyone’s art, so I always go all out on my own. I also like drawing hair and wrinkles in clothing. I used to be really obsessed with wrinkles and it would always look like my characters didn’t iron their laundry, but I’ve definitely toned it down since then, haha.

All in all, I like drawing human characters the best — or humanoid. Elves, fairies, merfolk; I love them the most. I like drawing animals too, but not as much as people. 

What do you like drawing the least?

Once again my answer is hands. They are still as difficult to draw as the day I started.

Backgrounds are also not enjoyable for me to draw. It’s an important part of a piece, but I get so bored drawing anything that’s not a character — which is why you’ll probably notice in a lot of my art that I do a lot of very minimal backgrounds. I’ve been trying very hard not to just take stock photos anymore (with the exception of my Mythical Month art as they’re meant to be stickers,) and I’ve been using games like Skyrim and Breath of the Wild as inspiration with their gorgeous scenery. 

Do you draw more fanart or original art? If fanart, what fandom do you draw the most of?

I post a lot more fan art than original — at least I used to, but I also think I have expanded in sharing my original art more and more with my Mythical Months/Mondays. I guess maybe I’d say about half and half.

What medium/program do you use the most in your art?

Digitally I always use Photoshop. Always. As for traditional art, I’ve been using Copic knock-offs (I’m still learning, so I’d rather not waste the money) and the Sakura Micron pens for my ink sketches. I’ve really been enjoying them, actually, it’s very therapeutic. However, no matter digitally or traditionally, I always, ALWAYS start with a pencil. I like mechanical pencils, I don’t like traditional #2 pencils anymore. The thin lead helps me keep control better.

How would you rank your art? (poor, mediocre, good, etc.)

I always say I think my art is “above average.” I know it’s not bad, but I think it could always use improvement. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to a place where I think my art is phenomenal, but I’m content with it, it makes me happy, and that’s all that matters.

List at least one of your “artspirations.”

My art style was greatly inspired by Naruto, Fire Emblem, and Zelda. I always liked more proper body proportions with that hint of anime inspiration. I like bigger eyes on my characters because they help convey emotion so much better, but I also don’t like the oversized baby eyes outside of the occasional chibi style. Avatar: The Last Airbender was also a great influence since the creators did exactly what I like to do and execute it wonderfully.

What do you think you could stand to improve on?

I feel like I can always improve on everything that I do in my art. There are things I’m good at, but I don’t feel like I’ve mastered anything in particular. Then there’s hands and feet again which I definitely need to work on. Lastly, motion. I want to be able to draw more fluid character motions. I’ve been working on it with my original art that I don’t post online, but hopefully I’ll start incorporating it into all my work.

Do you have a shameful art past? (recolor sprite comics, tracing art, etc.?)

Ugh, yes, YES! I admit I was so bad at first, but I also think that’s just how we learn. I used to do a lot of tracing. I started first just full-on tracing images off my computer — That’s right, I’d put the paper up to the computer and trace it like that. Then I started using bases, which was better because at least I had to draw all the details like hair and clothing by myself. Then I finally worked up the courage to stop using them completely. I’d use references, but I would force myself to figure it out by eye rather than copy it straight from the source. I’m happy to say I haven’t been tracing since my late middle school- early high school years.

Cosplay

How many years have you cosplayed?

My first cosplay was when I was fourteen, and I’m twenty-five at the time of writing this article, so eleven years now. Wow.

How did you get into cosplaying?

I honestly don’t know. I was invited to a convention where I heard people dressed up and was like “hey, I want to try that!” I guess it was because I didn’t really do Halloween as a kid and I was so deathly terrified of costumed characters as a toddler that I never took an interest until high school.

How many cosplays have you done?

That’s funny, you want me to remember how many cosplays I’ve ever done. A lot. According to my photo collection, I’ve done about 60 different cosplays (59 exactly if I’m counting correctly.)

What was your first cosplay and why did you choose it?

My first cosplay was Osaka from Azumanga Daioh in her blue summer uniform. Azumanga Daioh was my second ever manga series and my cousin and I were so obsessed with it. She even went as Yukari with me to the convention (though only, like, two people knew who we were.) Tomo is probably my favorite character, but I related personally more to Osaka, being the air-head that I am. I also didn’t have to really style my hair (because that was an era before I used wigs.)

What is your favorite cosplay you’ve done so far?

It’s a tie between my Trainee Link (Hyrule Warriors) costume and my Royal Guard Link (Zelda: Breath of the Wild) costume. Both are alternative costumes for one of my all-time favorite characters that I hand made all the really detailed pieces all from scratch. Link has always been a special character for me to cosplay, but these two are my favorites.

What is your least favorite you’ve cosplayed?

Rapunzel (Tangled). I was obsessed with her at the time which is why I wanted to cosplay her originally, but my dress was not the best and I didn’t look good as her. At least I think so. It was the only costume that made me feel insecure.

What cosplay is the most uncomfortable or troublesome?

Okay, I love this costume and character to pieces, but my gosh the struggles I go through for Pearl (Steven Universe). Blue Diamond (Steven Universe) is the worst in terms of how long it takes me to put my makeup on, but Pearl is right behind her at about 2 hours being my best time. However, the thing that makes Pearl more troublesome to wear is one thing and one thing alone: armsocks.

They look great and prevent you from having to dab makeup all over your body, but I literally couldn’t even hit the home button on my cellphone and it’s not like I could just take them off like gloves. They’re attached at your middle and putting them on is a hassle on its own. Getting your fingers into each tiny socket is so time-consuming. Now imagine this while also being coated in body paint. Plus, having white be the color of the stockings, you have to be conscious of everything you touch because it will stain and show. Because of all this, I refuse to use the restroom dressed as Pearl, and while that is “in character,” it is not healthy and totally NOT recommended you do that.

What is your most comfortable cosplay?

During the winter, Ravio (Zelda: A Link Between Worlds) for sure. It’s like wearing a giant snuggie. However, in summer, it does get hot very quickly (which is why I literally only wear biker shorts and a tank underneath if I ever do take it out on a hot day), so I only wear it in summer if I know there will be AC. Heatstroke is a real thing. Miss Frizzle (Magic School Bus) is probably the best all-year cosplay in terms of comfort. It’s just a dress, stockings, and a wig really.

But in all honesty, most of my cosplays are relatively comfortable. There’s really nothing that I’ve been so uncomfortable that it’s made my physically ill or scarred me physically. My health is important to me, and should safety should always come first.

How do you research the cosplay before you make it?

I look up lots of reference images. I need an image of the front and back, though if it’s not available, I just improvise based on the images I do have on hand. After that, I kind of just wing it.

Do you sew your cosplays yourself?

A good majority of them, yes. There are a few exceptions to this, though: My Disney princesses are all bought since I use them in performances and want them to be durable if children come and tug on the outfit. Pearl, also being a performance cosplay, I did buy as well. For her second reformation outfit (the sleeveless with the ribbon) I got specially commissioned to look and fit me just right whereas her movie/future appearance (jacket and mom-jeans) I literally found at a thrift store. I also love to find costume pieces at thrift stores. Whether I use them as is or make alterations, they make life so much easier when you make a good find for a cheap price. Leni Loud (Loud House) is probably my favorite thrift/sew hybrid. I found a base dress, altered the top and added strap sleeves, put lace around the edges, found a blingy pair of sunglasses, bought earrings and painted them, and made bows for sandals I already had. The most expensive part of that cosplay was the wig I bought from Arda (and it’s always worth it to buy from them in my opinion.)

When I make a costume completely from scratch (like Ravio, Thranduil, any of my Link cosplays) are when I really love the costume and character and want to take on a challenge and bring it to life myself. They also tend to have pieces that can’t be altered from your everyday clothing, but that just makes me work harder and learn more!

How did you learn to sew?

My grandmother taught me how. Osaka was my first cosplay, but my mom altered it from a tee shirt we found at a thrift store and a lucky skirt find. Kabuto Yakushi (Naruto) was the first cosplay I made from scratch (and I won best novice at the convention I wore it to — even with my terrible wig, haha.) She showed me how to use patterns when we made that and my Ayame Sohma cosplay, but after that, I scrapped using patterns and I basically just eyeball everything now. It’s totally not recommended, but I’m a little weirdo and just prefer to do things the way I do. Still, I wouldn’t be able to use a sewing machine if it weren’t for her. Thanks, Nanny!

Do you make your own props?

Most of them. I don’t really use props too often as I find them cumbersome to lug around a convention (which is how I thought of the Fire Emblem, Gravity Falls, and Skyrim book boxes to store your stuff and add some extra flair to a costume.) The few props I have made include Link’s sword, his trainee shield, his original shield from Zelda 1, and Soren’s Wind Tome (which I used for Laurent (Fire Emblem: Awakening) because I didn’t finish Soren (Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance) yet…) Then there’s my prized cosplay prop; Victreebel for James (Pokémon). That was all thanks to my fleece hat business in high school that taught me the skills to build that thing.

I actually think the only prop I store-bought was my Hylian Shield because it was so lightweight and easy to carry, plus I was dreading doing all those details at the time. Maybe one day I’ll make it from scratch, but for now, I’m content with my store-bought.

Do you style your own wigs?

Yes. I have been improving my styling skills a lot more since I first started. It was always a more difficult task for me, but I’ve been practicing more and more. The first one that I attempted on my own was my short-haired Rapunzel. That was basically just giving it a haircut, though. My first real styling challenge was Breath of the Wild Link. It took a long time, but I actually had fun figuring out his hair.

For most of my costumes, it’s really just the bangs that need that extra pop, to which I use Got2B gel and spray. Does the trick every time and keeps everything in place. For those who are wondering, though: No, I did not style Pearl’s wig. I am not ready for that kind of gravity-defying styling. That was all E-Bay.

What skill has been most useful for making your cosplay?

Well, sewing mostly, but other skills that have come in handy for me personally have been painting, crafting, makeup, styling, and overall decorating. Probably other stuff too, just nothing more I can think of off the top of my head.

What is the hardest thing when making a cosplay?

Probably figuring out how things connect. This is the main reason I’m timid when it comes to armor. I’ve been getting better, but I’m still having trouble figuring out how everything attaches and how to put on these kinds of costumes, which is why my Skyrim Elven Armor has been put on hold.

What was the biggest screw up you’ve had making a cosplay?

I’m not sure if I had any major crisis’ when it comes to making cosplays, but I’ve certainly had my fair share of irritating mishaps and mistakes. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve accidentally sewn the sleeves on a costume inside out about 4 times before I finally got it right.

I’ve cut holes in my clothing, I’ve sewn sleeves on too tight, and I’ve even completed a hat that took hours just for it to wind up being too small when I put a wig on. I guess most of the major issues I’ve had with sewing are measurement issues, so my advice to you is to always measure and try on your costume as you go. Don’t wait until the day of the con to try out your new cosplay.

How often do you injure yourself while making a cosplay?

Not too often, I occasionally prick my finger with my sewing needles, but I haven’t had too many serious injuries. I think the worst was when I slashed my thumb with the exacto-knife when making my first shield for Link. Needless to say, there was a lot of blood.

Do you try to stay cheap or do you splurge on materials?

I am a frugal soul; if I can save, I will. That’s why I thrift so much. However, on a costume I’m really passionate about, I will spend more to ensure the quality. For example, I spent a little more going to a more shimmery material for Royal Guard Link. It cost about $50 for the blue and red material, which to me, is a lot (and that was with coupons). However, the results were 100% worth it. PS, Michaels and Joann’s ALWAYS have coupons. I totally recommend downloading both apps.

I also stand by that with wigs and contacts. I love Arda, their quality is great, but they are more expensive than Amazon. Contacts I don’t mind spending more for as well since the quality is VERY important in this case; they are going on your eyes, after all.

However, as I said, I am absolutely not opposed to going cheap. If you can make it work, make it work. My Nyo!Austria (Hetalia) cosplay came out very cute and it was literally made from bedsheets. From using mostly thrifted and recycled materials, a lot of my cosplays came to around an overall price of around $30. Some of these costumes include Mega Gardevoir (Pokemon), Tomoyo Sakagami (Clannad), Spyro (Spyro the Dragon), and Luan Loud (Loud House.)

Cosplay can be totally affordable, you just have to be creative and think a little outside the box sometimes to make it work.

Have you ever cosplayed with a partner or group?

Yes, a few times. I’d love to do more group cosplays, but we all have to think of something we all like. Luckily, two of my very good friends decided they would dress up as Steven Universe and Amethyst to go with my Pearl this year for Comic-Con and it was such a great experience! I’m trying to convince them to do others as well, such as The Loud House and The Magic School Bus with me as well, haha.

Do you try to act in character?

Always: but I don’t always succeed. It really depends on the character. Pearl I could roleplay for days. It’s probably because I connect so much with her and performing as her doesn’t hurt either. Dee Dee Magno Hall says her favorite lines to say are peoples names, and after giving it a shot myself, I totally see why. I even practiced Garnets “Stronger than you” monologue in Pearl’s voice and tone (in case no one volunteered to sing during our karaoke event) and it always makes my friends laugh.

The characters that stump me a little more are the more serious characters I choose to portray; Link, Laurent, Thranduil (the Hobbit), Belle (Beauty and the Beast), just to name a few. I’m kind of a goofball/airhead so those characters clash with my personality a little bit, but I am getting better. Blue Diamond is surprisingly the easiest of these types to stay in character for.

That being said, I love being the outgoing, oddball characters. Like I said, Pearl is second nature to me, as well as Anna from Frozen. Back in my Hetalia days, Austria and America were my go-to guys. I could act as them forever, and my friends and I literally lived as them for a while with how much we role-played. Most of the Disney Princesses it’s pretty easy for me to stay in character, especially (like I said before) Anna, Sofia the First, and Merida.

How do you react to cosplayers dressed as a character from the same anime/game/etc?

If there are some good character opportunities, I will role-play on the spot, but more often than not I will ask if we could all get a picture together. There were so many fun interactions with other Steven Universe cosplayers when my friends and I did our little group, but one of my favorite interactions was probably when I was dressed as Laurent and I stumbled across a Miriel cosplayer and I just shouted out “MOM! I FINALLY FOUND YOU!”

Do you try to duplicate your character’s expressions, walk, movements, etc?

I can talk the talk (mostly), but I have more trouble walking the walk. I’ve been trying to replicate movements better, but facial expressions I have trouble with (ironic as it’s my favorite part of drawing.) I’m not as photogenic as I’d like to be, as you could probably tell by most of my pictures being the same face, but I definitely am striving to improve on that.

What was your funniest experience of acting in character?

Okay, there’s a lot that I could share, and eventually, I want to do an article solely on cosplay “in-character” experiences, but the one I HAVE to share right now is a recent experience when I was dressed as Ariel from The Little Mermaid.

I was performing at the family day event my church helps out at my pastor’s air force base as Ariel, and after my sing-a-long, my makeup was a little smudged. I asked a volunteer where the restroom was so I could touch up before I headed back out to the crowds. I thought he’d take me to a private restroom, but he brought me to the public one where there were families waiting outside. They noticed and the dad joked “See? Even princesses have to go.” to which I laughed and gave my best Ariel shrug to play along. I went inside, fixed my makeup, and went back outside.

It wasn’t long, so the family was still outside the men’s room. As I walked by, the man’s son shouted out “Ariel, congratulations on going pee-pee!” to which I bursted out laughing. Everyone was. I mean, if you gotta congratulate a princess on using the bathroom, you picked the right one! After that, I did explain that I was just putting on makeup but I appreciated his enthusiasm and thanked him for it.

Do you compete in cosplay contests?

All the time. I love them. Whether I win or lose, I always get something out of it. I learn tips from other cosplayers, get to meet so many interesting people, and those times I do win I get prizes which is always nice as well. Most importantly, though, the memories that are made there are the very best part.

Have you won anything?

I have won quite a few. I have three trophies, a medal, a few certificates, and have won a cash prize as well. My first win was my second convention as Kabuto where I won the best novice trophy. My most recent win was for Ravio in August of 2019 with best in show. It’s amazing, I never thought I would get this far, but I’m so grateful for everything I’ve been a part of.

Again, it’s totally not about winning, but I’ll admit that it does feel really nice to have my hard work appreciated. Just as drawing, I still feel like I have a lot of room for improvement in my cosplay, so winning a few contests here and there definitely helps my low self-esteem.

Do you prefer skits or walk-ons?

I’ve only ever done walk-ons. I’ve never had anyone to do a skit with and I don’t think I could pull one off on my own. I’d love to do one eventually, but for now, our panels are good enough.

How many friends have you made because of cosplay?

Quite a lot. My Instagram is full of cosplayers I’ve met at conventions and I love seeing their cosplays and drawings, it’s all so inspiring!

Do you attend photoshoots and meet-ups outside of conventions?

Occasionally. I’ve never done a professional photoshoot (though one day I’d like to,) but I have attended a few meetups. I’ve done one for Steven Universe, Once Upon a Time, Disney, and I actually accidentally walked into a Fire Emblem: Awakening one dressed as Laurent, so that worked out.

What is the funniest reaction you’ve gotten cosplaying from people outside of the community?

The best one was when I was dressed as Link and my friend and I were on the subway. There was a mom and her kid sitting across from us and she pointed to me and said to her child, “Look, an elf! You see? Santa’s got his helpers out all year round, so you have to be good!”

I also had another wonderful experience outside of a con dressed as Link, though it’s not as funny but more just a sweet memory. It’s quite a bit, but luckily I’ve already written about it for Zelda Universe so I’ll just link it here for anyone who’s interested. 

Name a few cosplays you’re planning to do next:

I’ve got to get Soren (Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance) done soon. I’ve been wanting to do this cosplay forever and I did start it, but I need to finally finish it. Dimitri (Fire Emblem: Three Houses) is also on my list to do next. Not sure about who else I want to do for sure, but some ideas that have floated around in my head have been Tilly Green (Big City Greens), Anna with her Frozen 2 look, Princess Peach (Super Mario), and a Thalmor Mage (Skyrim.)

What is your dream cosplay?

Princess Zelda from Twilight Princess. I’m still too scared to try to cosplay her. I bought a cheap starter costume that I was going to build off of and it wasn’t turning out the way I wanted, so I put it off again. One day I’ll feel confident enough to make her costume, but until then I’m totally satisfied with my Link cosplays.

What do you take into consideration when picking a character to cosplay?

Honestly, I just have to love them as a character and the costume itself has to seem do-able. I mean, I’m totally not opposed to buying cosplays if I really want to be a particular character, but like I said, making it means all the more to me. It’s my display of affection towards that character, the creators behind them, and the series as a whole.

Is cosplay serious business for you?

Yes and no. No because I don’t do it for money, likes, or internet fame. I do it because it’s fun and what I like to do. Yes because I go all out when I cosplay. I do everything I can to get the look the way I want it and I put my blood, sweat, and tears into it when I make them by hand. 

What is your favorite thing about cosplay?

Everything: Dressing up as a character I love, roleplaying them, taking photos, just everything! I would do it more often if I could!

How do you want to grow as a cosplayer?

I want to learn how to make more. I want to build armor, I want to learn new makeup and hairstyling techniques, and so much more. I’m happy where I am, but I know I can be better. I will watch others and learn from them and push myself to try new things!

Are you willing to answer questions and help other cosplayers?

Absolutely! I may not be a top dog of cosplaying, but if I can help someone with something I’ve learned along the way, I’m more than happy to help!

Writing

When did you start writing?

I started in middle school as well, I used to write a Nintendo fan fiction called “The Kirby Show,” where Kirby and his friends would get into wacky sitcom scenarios. They were really just knock-offs of the television shows I used to watch back in the day, but hey, everyone’s gotta start somewhere.

As for my original writing, I started that more in high school. I still wrote a lot of fan fiction at that point, but I was starting to develop my own characters as well. I thought it about time to think of my own creations, and I did. I remember I was in my Godmother’s car when I thought of the main three characters and since then the cast has expanded so much, their stories are much better developed, and the lore is much more solid.

When you were a beginning writer, what did you write primarily? What do you write now, primarily?  (i.e. romance, fan-fiction, poetry)

As mentioned before, I started out writing stories about characters that were not my own. Now I do all original writing — well, aside from my work at Zelda Universe. There I get to write about all the unique aspects of one of my favorite game series of all time, so there’s that as well. Writing there has helped me start writing little fandom topical posts for my own blog, such as top 10’s, reviews, and other things along those lines. 

How often do you write?

I make it a habit to try and write at least a half-hour a day. If I’m really on a roll, I could write up to a few hours a day before I get burnt out. Even though I’m not always writing, I’m always developing the stories in my head. 

When is your favorite time of the day to write?

I always write a half hour before I go to bed. The later it is, the more ideas keep rolling in. With my early hours for work now it’s harder to stay up late, but that doesn’t stop the ideas. I just gotta push myself a little harder to start earlier to have more time before I need to go to bed. 

Do you have a writing muse? If so, who/what?

Not in particular. I always just write about what I like and incorporate different aspects of my life into it. I guess I’m my own muse in that sense? I don’t know. I just write what I do know. 

What is your most popular lit piece?

Out of all my public pieces, I’d say either my “Animal Crossing Diaries” series or my “Endless Ocean” screenplay. “Vagabond” gets some decent attention as well, which is nice, but honestly, I’d be happy if there was just one person enjoying my work, so I really can’t complain. 

What is the piece you are currently writing?

Out of my public blog works, “Vagabond,” from my Zelda Universe collection I’m working on a character piece on Colin from Twilight Princess. 

What is the piece you most recently finished?

On my blog that would be my “Top 10 Favorite Fire Emblem Characters” list. For Zelda Universe, it’s actually a piece about Fire Emblem as well — It was DS week, I could write about whatever DS game I wanted to, of course I have to sneak in some Fire Emblem.

What piece are you most proud of?

While “Vagabond” definitely needs some more work, out of all the pieces I’ve posted publicly, that one is the one I am the proudest of. If anything just for Kurt and Maerwynn. They are two of my favorite characters to play around with and I’m so happy that somehow I was allowed to think these two up.

In my more private works, my fantasy story is my pride and joy. I feel so blessed to have been able to come up with these characters, and I do hope that someday I will be able to share them, whether on a television screen as I’ve always dreamed of in a novel of some sort. One day, maybe. 

What piece are you most disappointed in?

It’s not so much disappointment, but rather I’ve grown so much in my work, it’s very hard for me to look back at my first romance story. It’s a little cheesy and the dialogue is a bit clunky, some of the actions that my characters had performed totally go against what their characters have become now after spending a lot more time with them. It’s something I would love to revisit and maybe even go public with, but it’s going to take a lot of work. 

From all of your stories, who is/are your favorite character(s) and why? (try to limit it to 3)

Since I only published “Vagabond” online, I’ll stick to characters from this story in particular.

Maerwynn is definitely a favorite because she’s got a lot of qualities that I wish I was bold enough to enact myself. She speaks her mind without a care of what anyone else will think, even if it’s blatantly rude. She goes for her goals, even if they may seem ridiculous, and she pursues them with great passion and ferocity. Even with this rough and tough exterior, she’s still got a softer side that she’s just discovering in her new life at the palace. Now, I wouldn’t ever recommend being like Maerwynn ALL the time, but there’s definitely is a time and place where we could all be a little bit more like her, I think. Her confidence is the thing I admire most about her.

Kurt I connect with as well. Again, he says all the things that we all wish we could get away with at one point or another, but he knows he can because he’s royalty. However, he’s got so much going on underneath the surface as well with the complications of his past. He’s learning to open up, connect with others, and understand his feelings. Despite feeling restricted by the laws of his kingdom and the traditions of the royal family, he finds his own way to feel free and be himself. 

What is the best compliment you ever got on your writing?

My best friend who I’ve been sharing these stories with for as long as we’ve known each other told me the nicest thing not to long ago. I always laugh at myself for going so crazy in-depth with the lore and characters of my fantasy world, but she told me how she’s admired that and the love and care I put into each little thing was what made it so great. It really meant the world to me to hear that and I can’t thank her enough for all the love and support throughout the years! 

What is your main goal in writing?

I don’t know if there’s one main goal in particular, but I suppose if I had to pick just one, it would be to show good through the works of my characters and hope and pray that it inspires others to be like them. Kindness is growing scarce in the world, and if I can just inspire a little bit of it in someone, I suppose that’s all I can ask for. 

Have you ever been published?

No, but I am aiming for it. Once I complete Vagabond, give it another revise myself, and hopefully find an editor to give it another look over, I’d love to find someone to publish my book or even self publish on a platform like Amazon. Just something to get my work out there.

Questions asked by you

Who is an artist that you look up to? There are a few artists online that I follow who I just adore their work. Three that come to mind in particular are Bianca Roman-Stumpff, Bellhenge, and TheStarfishFace. Their art is so different from mine, but I think that’s probably why I love it so much (if that makes sense?)  They each have such a unique style and great subject material, I highly recommend giving them a look!

What did you think of “Frozen 2”?

I loved it. No secret that I’m a huge Frozen fan, so I was bound to like it. I was actually really nervous about how it was going to end, but I can say (without spoilers) that I am 100% satisfied with how it concluded. Also, Kristoff finally gets the spotlight that he deserves, thank you, Disney.

However, as much as I did love it, I do totally admit I do see flaws in it that could have been improved on. That being said, there was that in the first movie too and I stilled loved it. The characters have enough charm to keep the film entertaining throughout and I just adore them!

What does your family think of your art?

My parents have always encouraged me about my art and I know my grandmother loves it; I gave her a sweater with the art she liked of mine last Christmas and my mom says she wears it all the time. The rest of my family knows and supports my art as well, I  never really had any issue with my small art business and the family.

Any memorable cosplay experiences at a con?

So many. I’ve shared a few before, but I think I’d like to make a whole article on the great cosplay experiences I’ve had! There are so many to talk about and stories to share.

Is there a type of art that you would like to get into? I’ve seen a lot of people doing wood carving and burning, but that looks insanely difficult.

I’ve actually been considering wood burning, haha! It does look difficult, that’s why I’ve been hesitant, but maybe in the future I’d give it a shot. I think they’d make my Skyrim wood pieces look legit.

I’m really up for trying anything. If money wasn’t a thing, I’d have tried a lot more by now. In the future, I’d love to try needlepoint as well! 

Recently, I had been asked about some of the work that I do, and I thought a fun way to just that was to fill out a few questionnaires. Here I talk about some of the high and low points of doing what I do, what inspires me, and my process of creativity. Welcome all! If you're reading this, I'm assuming you're familiar with my work as either an artist, cosplayer, writer or any of the other creative things I do.

[tornrose24]

Things about Krupp/CU in the Captain Underpants Little Mermaid inspired AU

So I decided to add some facts for this AU since people are getting interested in it. First up is for both Krupp and CU:

Krupp -Before he had his ability to feel love or optimism be ripped from him, Krupp used to be a lot nicer and his temper wasn’t as bad as it is now. He grew worse as time went on and the fact that he constantly feels like he’s hollow doesn’t help his mood.

-He had a strict childhood and a lot of bad experiences that didn’t help with shaping him into the person he is now.

-A lot of merfolk are intimidated by the fact that he’s part shark and looks scary. There are times where Krupp likes this, but there are times where he gets a little self-conscious about it.

-There is an old wives’ tale told to the children of the surface world about Krupp to get them to behave. If they do not treat the ocean and all who live in it with respect OR if they stray too far from their parents on the shoreline OR if they swim too far out into the ocean, then the king of the ocean will send someone to drag them down into his domain where he’ll keep them imprisoned. 

-His teeth are as strong as a regular shark’s and can cut through a lot, though he accidentally bites his tongue a lot too. One of the goals that George and Harold hope to accomplish as a prank is to make Krupp bite his way out of something.

-No one in the ocean kingdom calls him by his first name that much. Those who do, only do so if the situation really calls for it.

-Unlike the book version, Krupp is NOT a coward. There is a good reason enemies of the kingdom of the ocean fear him, besides the fact that he can cause literal storms through his anger. If he is dead set on something, he will do anything to accomplish it. His ability to keep things in order and to not cave in has at least earned the respect of his people, but it doesn’t mean they always agree with the king.

-Being annoyed or frustrated won’t cause storms, but how severe they are reflects on how angry he gets. It could vary between huge waves or a full blown storm. Harold and George have unintentionally caused a few, but the worst storm created out of Krupp’s anger is when he finds out about them breaking his number one law by escaping to the surface world and taking on human forms.

-His biggest regret varies between having ever gone up to the surface world in the first place and allowing the parents of George and Harold to work for him (and thus have to deal with the two of them).

-He’s not subjected to the boys’ pranks as often as in the film or the books, but when it happens its bound to be amusing. And then a small storm will happen not long after that.

-He also can manipulate water somewhat if he needs to.

-(I took inspiration from the film Splash for this one and I thought it would be funny and ironic). There was a time where if humans had special charms, they could breathe underwater, but Krupp had most of them destroyed. Alternatively, merfolk can provide humans with the power to breathe underwater by kissing them. The kiss of an adult merperson can allow six hours worth of the ability to breath underwater but anyone lucky enough to get kissed by the king gets a full three day’s worth of that same ability since he’s THAT powerful.

-The colors of his sash are dark green and dark blue. The teeth on his necklace are shark teeth from actual sharks. The symbol of the kingdom that he wears is the sign of Neptune (because the creator of this AU was super lazy to come up with anything more original).

-There is a way he keeps his toupee on underwater but it’s top secret. Not even the creator of the AU knows the answer to this mystery.

-He once promised Harold’s mom that if her husband ever came back to the kingdom, he would punish him for abandoning her and her family. It was one of his rare moments of compassion, even if the punishment in question is not kid friendly enough to mention here (and it freaked out Harold’s mom a bit, though she appreciated the concern).

-He can’t just fire the parents of George and Harold for the boys’ behavior so he’ll rant about their actions to them a warning.

-Just like in any/most mermaid tale, Krupp used to sing a lot. It was something Edith liked about him whenever she caught him singing. However he stopped singing and didn’t want to be caught doing so after the removal of his ability to love. (He’s voiced by Ed Helms, how can I NOT include that?!)

-Both human and mershark forms have stretch marks (I didn’t draw them, but I like the idea).

-The bracelet he wore to become human as a spiral symbol. It’s power lasts for up to three days, so he visited the surface world very frequently for awhile. And no, he did not have to give up his voice.

-Edith was the first human he ever met face to face during his time on the surface. He was also completely naked at the time and she whacked him over the head when she freaked out about it.

-The one article of human clothing he had a hard time understanding was (no big surprise) underwear.

-It took him awhile to learn to walk and to get used to the fact that he had normal looking teeth. The later caught him by surprise when he first saw the change in the mirror and it made him look less scary, which was something he found to be refreshing for a change.

-The human world was so new and so exciting for Krupp that he acted a lot like CU (if CU had a higher IQ) towards everything. In fact it took him awhile to get used to the fact that children weren’t afraid of him at that time and he did like them. Sadly that last part changed when he changed for the worse.

-Krupp was first drawn towards Edith for her quiet, yet kind nature, as well as her blue eyes. Whenever she opened up and was outgoing, he was drawn to her even more and he admired her desire to take control of her life and to be able to support herself.

-The moment he completely lost his heart to Edith and knew that he wanted more than anything to be with her was a night on the boardwalk where he danced with her. (my head-cannon is that the music that would have played was an instrumental version of ‘When words fail’ from the Shrek Musical because-a couple of lyrics aside- it is so fitting). It was one of the happiest moments of his life, he felt like he could be himself and he felt that he knew exactly what he wanted in his future. It was only sometime after the dance was over that reality kicked in for him and he wouldn’t even take the chance to confess his feelings to her.

-There’s a lot of things about his true appearance that he is insecure about and they didn’t help in his choice to leave Edith. He wasn’t handsome as a slightly overweight and average looking human, but he felt that he would look like a hideous monster to her in his real form. This fear would one day come true, but not in the way he would have expected.

-On the day Krupp was supposed to meet Edith before she had to leave to continue her apprenticeship, he stayed hidden under the pier and was forced to watch her wait and be crushed when he didn’t show up. The heartbreak and pain over what he had to do was enough to make him cry and it would not be long before he would visit a certain scientist so that he would never have to experience this ever again.

Captain Underpants (or CU for short) -CU is Krupp’s ability to love, as well as to feel compassion and optimism, personified in a form that looks similar to the king’s own, but slightly different. Those emotions Krupp ripped out manifested and took on that form within the ring that contained them and the form also doubles as a reflection of the self confidence that Krupp lacks. CU still acts like how he does in the books/film, but he doesn’t remember who or what he is.

-For some reason, water prevents CU from getting out of the ring, while snapping your fingers can summon him out. 

-The ring was originally a consolation prize that Krupp won at one of the games on the boardwalk during his time as a human and was his only possession from the human world. He threw it away in a place where it couldn’t be found because of what it contains and for all that it symbolized to him.

-The ring was found by George and Harold during one of their adventures and George wore it on the day they both escaped to the surface world.

-The boys first met CU on their first night as humans when they accidentally snapped their fingers. They were scared of him at first because they thought that Krupp found them, but then they grew to enjoy him overtime. CU was quick to like them and he wants to protect them while he tries to figure out who he is.

-Only children who are genuinely good of heart and character can see CU. The only adult who can see him is his true self.

-CU is more like a spirit without an actual body and he can change between his mershark and human forms at will. His choice in outfit for his human form was what earned him his name by the boys.

-CU can’t cause storms like Krupp can, but he’s still someone to fear if you hurt someone he cares about.

-CU can also sing like Krupp, except he’s more open to doing it. He’s not always on cue though.

-CU feels like he needs to be somewhere and that he is not whole. He feels a pull towards the ocean (a pull towards his true self) but the water keeps him away, like a barrier.

-Because of Krupp’s love towards Edith, CU feels the same way towards her as well, though he doesn’t know why and doesn’t know who she is. It won’t stop him from trying to talk to her.

-If CU feels a very strong emotion towards something or shows affection towards someone he cares about, Krupp can feel a faint ghost of it from many miles away (the latter is uncomfortable about it and doesn’t understand why it happens).

-CU may or may not be able to possess his true self’s body if he is knocked out. But in order for Krupp to accept CU back into him (and to become whole once more), he must actually want to do so.

I will add more as time goes on. Next up will be for George and Harold, which might be either tomorrow or the next day.

[moisellethefae]

Seeing your edhs you seem to love the jank/weird combo archetype (Phage, Mishra...) Do any of them all have a strategy not usual for the commander?

Well, it’s a bit of a mix! I like my decks to do weird things. I like my decks to be unique. No two decks I own should do the same thing the same way. Sometimes that entails following what the commander dictates for a decent chunk of the deck, while others they’re in to only enhance what the deck already does. I don’t like the idea of picking a commander “just for colors” though. I’m doing the 32 deck challenge, wherein the goal is to have a deck of every color combination, so I want to keep it interesting. Let’s go down the list, shall we?

I put it all below a cut since there are so many:

White - Sram, Senior Edificer

Originally a Kemba deck, it’s an equipment Voltron deck with the option of going wide by making a ton of tokens. Tried Sram on a whim and he’s just soooo efficient!

Blue - Braids, Conjurer Adept

Fast mana and giant spaghetti monsters! If everyone’s getting free stuff, why not make yours the biggest and best? Featuring a lot of blue removal, not so many counterspells.

Black - Phage the Untouchable

Yes, the Phage gimmicks are here, but really that makes up about 5% of the deck. Beyond that, this is Mono-Black Devotion, with a focus on cards that care about number of Swamps, like Lashwrithe.

Red - Heartless Hidetsugu

Party Time Red! Heartless is here to put the game into Sudden Death mode. No damage doubling to instantly end games, but dropping everyone quickly down to 5 or 10 life adds a lot of tension to the game. A small sub-theme of mini games comes in to keep things interesting, like Game of Chaos or Goblin Game.

Also - Zada, Hedron Grinder

While much of the deck is built on the usual Zada silliness of many tokens plus stupid cantrip and pump spells, there’s an energy sub-theme, plus some shenanigans with mono-red infinite combos.

Green - Titania, Protector of Argoth

Lands.dec! Titania wins by making an army of dudes and swinging, especially by doing silly things with land sacrifice and recursion. Simple, straightforward, but effective and resilient.

White/Blue - Sygg, River Guide

Formerly a Brago deck, this went full Merfolk and Wizard tribal with the release of Amonkhet. Throne of the God Pharoah gave me the final win-condition I needed to make it work. The goal is to grind the enemy, typically by taking advantage of tapping my team for some value, but straight up merfolk aggro is valid too.

White/Black - Kambal, Consul of Allocation

OBEY THE RULES! Going off Kambal’s ability, the deck is full hate bears and ways to bleed the opponents down slowly but surely. Kambal’s here to be as annoying as possible.

White/Red - Brion Stoutarm

I wanted to do White/Red control since I kept getting told it doesn’t work. Turns out it works really well when you can steal and fling every solid threat they throw out! Or when that doesn’t work, just toss Serra Avatar at their face. :)

White/Green - Selvala, Explorer Returned

My life gain deck! Starts with a base of soul sisters with some fun ways to untap Selvala repeatedly (on occasion, infinitely).

Blue/Black - Grimgrin, Corpse-Born

Welcome to Zombo.com! Anything is possible at Zombo.com! Especially if what you want are Rooftop Storm based combos. Cause that’s mostly what you’ll get.

Blue/Red - Arjun the Shifting Flame

Arjun wheel? Arjun deal! The goal of the deck here is primarily to get Arjun into play and then play tiny spells until I somehow wheel into a win condition. This can range from Sphinx’s Tutelage to Psychosis Crawler, to Master the Way! Never sure how you’ll win but you’ll dig into something.

Blue/Green - Kruphix, God of Horizons

The infamous Cake Deck. Kruphix’s 4 arms are perfect for group hugging! Start out giving everyone slow advantages until eventually blowing out the table with multiple copies of Forced Fruition. It’s always fun when they can’t destroy one without decking themselves first.

Black/Red - Wort, Boggart Auntie

Wort’s Family Reunion! The goblins have all gotten together to do what they do best: break stuff! The deck starts as you’d expect. Standard goblin aggro good stuff. Weenie aggro usually can’t get there in most games, even with some buffs. That’s why we have our good friend Purphoros along for the ride, or our favorite boss Skirk Fire Marshal to blow the game up. Literally! (also Kiki-Jiki + Lightning Crafter for goblin-themed combos)

Black/Green - Nath of the Gilt-Leaf

Lorwyn elves are the best elves, as we all know. And they’re here to beat it into your head so you won’t forget. Combination elf-tribal aggro and hand control! Sadistic Hypnotist lives up to its name with Nath, as together all opponents get stuck in top deck mode while you get an army.

Red/Green - Wort, the Raidmother

Wort isn’t done partying yet! This time, while she makes lots of token friends, things are a lot more focused on ramping and copying big spells, especially big, BIG burn spells.

Also - Atarka, World Render

Dragon tribal! A small morph sub-theme, but nothing really specially. Just wanted to make Atarka.

WUB Esper- Ertai, the Corrupted

One of my newer decks. I realized I didn’t really have any decks that just said “No.” So I decided to make one as mean as possible! Counterspells and aristocrats nonsense, complete with Smokestacks!

URW Jeskai - Zedruu the Greathearted

Started out as the Zedruu precon that I’ve been slowly tweaking into its own thing. Does goofy things giving folks gifts that they don’t usually like having. It’s on the short list of decks I want to update, adding in some more enchantment things and actual win-cons.

WUG Bant - None Yet

No deck here yet, but the plan is Rubinia Soulsinger with a focus on votes and voting!

RWB Mardu - Alesha, Who Smiles at Death Stomps on Gender Norms

Hardcore graveyard combo. With the right hands, Alesha here can win the game on turn 4 or 5 fairly consistently. Typically this is by way of Karmic Guide/Reveillark or Leonin Relic-Warder/Animate Dead. If not though, there are some longer term solutions, particularly Purphoros and the like and recurring Seige-Gang Commander or Sengir Autocrat.

WBG Abzan- None Yet

Also on the list to make soon! Something with Walls, I think, probably Doran in the lead.

WRG Naya - Gahiji, Honored One

All praise and honor to mighty Gahiji! Build temples and shrines to his glory! Doing so involves an Enchantress theme - part pillowfort, part making your opponents more enticing targets. Then once you’re ready, dump a ton of tokens into play and blow them out!

UBR Grixis - Mishra, Artificer Prodigy

Mishra’s Breakfast Machine! I talked about this one recently. While Mishra provides lots of value, the goal is to build some kind of silly Rube Goldberg machine out of artifacts to win the game. “Oops I found a combo” happens all too often here.

BUG Sultai - Sidisi, Brood Tyrant

Another recent creation, this is full self-mill zombie tribal aggro. If you aren’t turning things sideways you’re playing this deck wrong. And if they do clear the field, it’s very resilient! Very rarely do creatures stay in the graveyard for more than a turn (unless it’s Wonder. Then it can stay.)

GUR Temur - Maelstrom Wanderer

Superfriends! Maelstrom Wanderer is so good, it’s hard not for this to be really strong straight away. It ramps hard, pulls out tons of walkers into play, and overwhelms with walker-based shenanigans. Sub-themes include proliferate and a bit of infect while we’re at it. (Inexorable Tide with cascade is real, real good).

BRG Jund - Prossh, Skyraider of Kher

I have plenty of decks that take advantage of small critters entering the battlefield, but not so much the big stuff. This is aaaall about the big creatures. Devour, Pandemonium, that sort of thing.

Not Green - Breya, Etherium Shaper

Breya, Egg Scrambler! Where Mishra is more your normal artifact deck, this is Eggs combo. Pure and simple: play lots of small artifacts, crack them, and bring them back from the graveyard! This deck got a LOT of help from Aether Revolt, between the Implements, Scrap Trawler, and Pia’s Revolution.

Not Red - Atraxa, Praetors' Voice

My most recent deck as of writing. I wanted to avoid the planeswalkers and counters thing everyone was doing with Atraxa, so instead a big scary reanimator deck, featuring all the praetors! Still needs some testing, but I’m quite happy with it so far.

Not Black - Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis

This one still feels a little off, but I’m working on it. The current iteration is heavy, heavy landfall. Just lots of ways to ramp beyond reason and take advantage of those triggers.

Not Blue - Saskia the Unyielding

This deck is dubbed “Get Swol”. Heavy +1/+1 counter themes, particularly including every creature that says something to the effect of “when someone plays something, get a counter”. Critters get real big, real fast.

Not White - Yidris, Maelstrom Wanderer

While there are some wheels, I felt like I got enough of that with Arjun, so this is focused a lot more on finding ways to combo out with big dumb storm spells, especially copying cascade triggers!

No Color - Emrakul, The Promised End

The options are few for the colorless commanders, so when it came time to choose, Emrakul seemed the most interesting, as controlling players seemed fun. This deck ramps a lot, draws a lot, and plays big things! All three titans make an appearance of course. After all, they came as three.

All Colors - Sliver Queen

I’ve been collecting Slivers for over a decade now. I have all of them and love and cherish my hive, so of course this was on of my earliest commander decks. It’s evolved over the years, as slivers are want to do, and currently sits as a Sliver Queen combo deck. We can make infinite slivers and infinite mana a number of different ways, all involving the Queen herself of course.

Oof, well that was a lot of typing. Let me know if you have any thoughts or suggestions!